Copper arsenite, a green pigment containing arsenic, was used to color confectionery and other foods in the 19th century. This highly toxic substance was one of the many dangerous chemicals borrowed from the palettes of painters and used in food. Its use was eventually exposed and outlawed, but not before causing significant harm to consumers.

The use of copper arsenite in food was a shocking revelation that fueled public outrage and reform efforts. Poets and writers used the image of 'arsenic candy' to symbolize the hidden dangers of modern life and the moral corruption of those who would poison children for profit. This theme appears in the works of several Victorian novelists and poets, who were often engaged in social criticism.